Okay, so, we all probably need a vacation from the real world, yes? Let’s say a pleasant two-week or month-long vacation somewhere that would be fun and relaxing. Where would you like to go? Let’s stipulate that you can visit after any horrifying Dark Lord has been defeated, or after any potentially world-destroying crisis has been averted. Below are five worlds that I think would be a pleasure to visit.
I mean, just look at that cover! You don’t have to read the story to know how delightful a visit would be. I mean, as long as you’re not afraid of heights. That would not be a great phobia here. But it’s not only the gliding, fun though that would be. This also is a charming, low-key, pastoral society, with lots of social emphasis on courtesy and pacifism. It would be a great place for a retreat, for recuperation, for a peaceful vacation away from real-world troubles.
A commenter mentioned Muina in this context, but the fact is, I would kind of like to visit Tare as well as Muina. Given the relative ease of traveling between the two worlds, there’s no reason a vacation package couldn’t include both. Even though I’m not into urban living as a thing, I would like to visit Tare, which sounds pretty amazing for a totally urban planet. I’d like a window in my apartment so I could admire those storms. Then, back to Muina. I want to visit the place with the giant trees, and definitely the place with the rivers that have been redesigned into an artistic presentation. Also, while there, I’d definitely schedule time for “skin treatment” or whatever term is applied to the anti-aging treatment.
Any sightings of psychic space ninjas would be icing on the cake.
If I turned out to be a touchstone, as unlikely as that is, I would carefully not mention it to anyone. At least not unless I had already decided I’d want to spend the rest of my life there.
I have to say, I’d also bring some of my spaniels. Those feral “border collies” are going to be terrible, terrible pets for most people; much too high-drive and demanding. I feel bad that the Muinans don’t have a more suitable type of dog for companionship. Cavaliers would fill that niche admirably.
Most fantasy worlds would arguably make terrible vacation spots. Even if the Dark Lord isn’t trying to enslave everyone, for a plethora of reasons, they just aren’t that nice as places to live. This world is different. I’ve said before that the society here, the one with the Elemental Blessings, is currently experiencing a kinder, gentler industrial revolution. That’s exciting and adds to the comfort level of living here. There’s just a nice aura here too, as one can see by the way that all the Elemental Blessings are in fact blessings — no curses built into the metaphysics of this world. That’s one reason these novels were instant comfort reads for me.
In this particular case, I have a very specific destination in mind. I really want to visit Wizard Derk and his family. I love, love, love the griffins in this family. There are neat dragons in this world too, and I don’t think those dragons would be particularly dangerous to visit as long as Derk or one of his children introduced you.
As long as no huge empire is trying to invade … and as long as the islands aren’t sinking toward the sea … then it’s hard to imagine a better vacation spot. Seriously.
Beautiful setting, flying people to admire as they soar overhead — or below a balcony, perhaps — plus a culture that emphasizes the arts including the culinary arts … I mean, even if most people can’t really see the dragons that may be around, still, sign me up!
What’s a world you’d particularly like to visit?
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I’d love to visit the Old Kingdom when there’s an Abhorsen and a King doing their proper work. So long as the Dead stay Dead, it seems like it’d be a wonderful vacation spot.
Ingary sounds like it’d be fun to visit – though I’d stay away from seven-league boots personally, unless I was really sure I could manage to stop at my destination.
Also the Enchanted Forest, probably to visit Morwen (and her cats).
I second the Floating Islands. I love food, and the confections that Araene creates or tastes seem like they’d be fun to try. Also, just knowing that dragons are somewhere around makes everything better.
I think there’s lots of appeal to Narnia, if you can ignore the Jesus bits – part of why I loved those books so much was wanting to be friends with dryads and talking animals and whatnot.
I’d like to visit the world of Elemental Blessings, too, but only Welce. Many of the other countries seem much less pleasant.
Robert, all the other kingdoms sound AWFUL. Fortunately, the magic of Welce is SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL than the magic of their neighbors that they don’t need to worry about being conquered.
The Floating Islands were my first thought too! I think they’re definitely the most pleasant tourist spot in your books. Though the starlight country AFTER the evil menace is defeated would be grand too.
I’d also like to visit McKinley’s Damar, mostly to taste malak and befriend a hunting cat. (I’d never ask for the privilege of riding a Hill horse, since I’d just fall off anyway.)
And I’d really love to visit a Raksura colony and hang out with the Arbora!
It might be fun to join Legolas and Gimli on their tour of the caves and woods of Middle Earth following the fall of Sauron.
I might head off to The Princess Seeks Her Fortune after the ending. Settle in the kingdom because too much trouble means they don’t get their happy ending. 0:)
My problem with questions like these is that I go straight away to taking them too practically.
Most fantasy worlds suffer greatly by not having air conditioning, or running water, or toilet paper, or…
Most SF worlds, and plenty of fantasy world, would very quickly have someone/something powerful noticing there’s a visitor from a completely unknown world, which would make me far too much of a big interesting target to be able to enjoy a vacation (compared to lockup, interrogation, death, immediately exile, and such).
Same for just regular folks I’d need to interact with, can’t vacation properly when everyone around is either extremely curious, hostile, or afraid.
Just the language barrier limits the large majority of worlds. It needs to have in-world people who can speak the languages I speak, or I’d have to take the very high risk of dealing with mind-magic users, risky neural interfaces, and other stuff that could be extremely unchill and non-relaxing.
Most places would require me having some money equivalent, which I don’t have. Trading for the unique stuff I bring with me could work, but goes back to attracting a lot of attention, possibly criminal one when I have to randomly and quickly find someone to trade with.
If there aren’t humans around, drastically raise the issues with attention and communications. And good luck easily finding food that would be both safe to eat, and sufficient to live from for a few weeks. If there are humans, great, there’s a realistic chance I could die from a completely benign local disease, or create a local plague from one of mine.
Pretty much the only way to know I could possibly enjoy a vacation would be not to come as my regular self, but as the equivalent of a very significant local power, to circumvent all the obstacles and risks. Which would turn the vacation to a less friendly and casual one.
And which maybe makes it better to actually come while there is a dark lord fighting around, get rid of them (so, well, working vacation), and so at least garner some positive attitudes (and have the fear tempered by a sense of alliance or gratitude) for at least a short while…